The antigay views of writer Orson Scott Card, a board member of the National Organization for Marriage who called for the criminalization of homosexuality, are well known. So the release of the movie of his seminal novel, Ender’s Game, has been tarnished by talks of an lgbt boycott, an issue that Harrison Ford who stars in the film, addressed recently.

"The question of gay marriage is a battle that [Card] lost,” he says. “I think we all know that we’ve all won. That humanity has won.”

He is alluding to the ironic fact that the movie's hero could easily be seen as a young gay archetype. Ender Wiggin's struggles closely parallel experiences often common to gay youth. In the book, Ender was usually in hell, feeling unfairly isolated and bullied.

Parallel 1. His parents resented him, as Colonel Graff (Ford) comments “[Your parents] do love you Ender, but you have to understand what your life has cost them. They were born religious.”
Ever heard of religious conviction destroying the bond between parents and a gay child?

Parallel 2. Apart from his sister, Valentine, Ender shows no fondness for any females throughout the book. He builds a friendship with Petra, a girl at his Battle School, but their relationship is purely platonic. He is at his most affectionate with his male peers like Alai, who kisses Ender on the cheek one night in the barracks, and Bean, who appears deeply fond of Ender too. Ever heard of a boy with warmer feelings for members of his own sex?

Parallel 3. Ender’s apparently gay sensibilities define the ways in which his abusers choose to bully him. Rose de Nose lies naked on a bed, taunting Ender with an animated penis displayed on a tablet resting on his belly. Ever heard of a gay youth being tortured with sexual images? How about Russia last month?

As director Gavin Hood observes, “The story of Ender is really a young person in search of his identity and in search of his own moral compass,” says Hood. “And so for me, it is so ironic that the writer of the work that has helped so many [young] people, gay and straight, to find empowerment, to feel empowered, to find their own moral compass — it’s very sad that he, himself, is struggling with these issues.

So there's the controversy. Here's the movie, a veritable sci-fi spectacular.

The Formics, hostile aliens, have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military, anticipating the next attack, are training only the best young children to find the next Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but brilliant boy, is drafted into the elite group. Arriving at Battle School, Ender easily masters the challenging war games, winning respect even amongst his previously abusive peers.

Graff ordains Ender as the military's next great hope, promoting him to Command School where he's trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into the final battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race. Or not.

Lustralboy says click the image above to get the trailer. See the movie and relish the subliminal gay message.

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